My Private Detective ❤️

 

Around the world in 180 seconds

Go, atleast once a year, to a place you have never been to before... Unfortunately, I couldn't travel anywhere this year. 

My last trip was in October 2018 during the second trimester. From then on, I couldn't travel long distances as my OB advised me not to. My placenta was just close to being on the lower end of the uterus. After delivery, I couldn't travel anywhere as the baby was too small and  SARS-CoV-2 cases were on the rise. 

It's been close to a year since I have been on a "proper" vacation. I have been at home on most days, owing to the maternity leave, numerous lockdowns and staggered duty pattern at the workplace. Some may consider this to be a vacation, for me it's not. My idea of a vacation is to run away from the usual, explore places, try out new cuisines and return home with great memories. 

Lately, I have been dying to go on a vacation so bad. If I didn't have the infant with me, I would have definitely packed my bags and headed out to Thailand inspite of the pandemic. 😂

For now, I will just have to be happy with these vacation photos that I managed to click over the weekend. 

2020 - The year so far...

2020 has been quite an eventful year so far. I didn't even think in my wildest dreams that things would be different this year. I have come to a point where I have stopped making plans  and go along with the flow. 

Covid-19 has gripped the world and how. Raising a kid at this time may be a challenge depending on how old your child is and where you live. 

In India, we have had four major nationwide lockdowns since March 2020 with some relaxations in between. 

I am grateful that I have an infant to look after during these times. Unlike a toddler or an older child, I didn't have to worry much about keeping my little one occupied with activities, monitoring online classes and explaining why he/she can't step out of the house.

I was on maternity leave since February 2020 for six months. The option for a paternity leave was not available. Thanks to the lockdown, my husband was at home on most days and helped around whenever needed. I can't imagine how it would have been if I had absolutely no help. 

We make sure that the little one interacts with her grandparents through video calls. The last time she met them in person was in Feb - March, with the exception of my dad who still hasn't held her in his arms yet. 

Over the last six months, we hardly took our baby outside, for the fear of getting her infected. The only couple of times she has been out were for random strolls on the terrace, vaccinations and short car drives. She doesn't get opportunities to interact much with people. Even if she does, they are usually hidden behind a mask. To most people, this may seem to be in best interest for the child. As a mother, I am concerned if this may take a toll on her social skills and personality. She still has to discover that the world she lives in, is a much bigger and beautiful place. 😊 I can't wait to take her to the park, beach, mall, church and places where she can meet more people. I can't wait to show her how a crow, pigeon, cat or a dog looks like... There are so many things that I want her to see, feel and experience...things that we took for granted before Corona arrived. 

I just hope, like any other person, that the current situation gets better. I am looking forward to the day when we can finally toss the mask away and walk around freely. 

Review : Syga High Chair with Padded Seat

One of the most essential things required to wean your baby is a high chair or booster seat... My husband and I had a couple of prerequisites when we started out hunting for the perfect "throne". We wanted the chair to be easy to maintain, have a cushioned seat, meet safety requirements and fit our budget.  After checking out a couple of reviews and comparing prices of various brands on Flipkart, Amazon and FirstCry, we finally zeroed down on Syga High Chair with Padded Seat from FirstCry. 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

The Syga High Chair is available in different colours. You have different models that you can choose from - with or without cushion and with or without wheels. 

It can be used as a high chair or booster seat, depending on your requirements. 

The features of the chair are as follows -

* Suitable for ages 6+ months to 3 years

* Can bear a maximum weight of 18 kgs

* Adjustable chair height and dinner tray position

* Dinner tray with cup holder is easy to detach and clean

* Seat can be reclined if needed.

* 5 point safety harness

* Cushioned seat that can be removed and cleaned. 

* Footrest

* Can be folded for storage

PRICE : The product was priced at Rs. 6200. We purchased the chair during an offer while it was priced at Rs. 3554.03 on FirstCry.

REVIEW

We ordered the product online and received it in 7 days. The chair arrived as dismantled parts and required assembly. We were provided with an "Instructions" card and a printed paper bearing a link to a YouTube video on how to assemble. The Instructions card is not much of help as it was typed in Chinese. However, we managed to figure out things with the help of the pictures on the card and the YouTube video. It took us 45 minutes to set up the chair. The best part is you don't need any tools to assemble it! 

The quality of the chair is excellent for the amount paid. It comes with a detachable cushioned seat and was extremely comfortable for my baby to seat on. 

The 5 point safety harness and sturdy base makes it absolutely easy and less accident-prone to feed a fidgety baby. Cleaning spills from the detachable dining tray is quite simple. 

Since the chair is suitable for a 6+ months baby, I use cushions on either sides to make sure my 5 month old baby doesn't lean to one side. 

Overall, the chair has been a saving grace. My little one enjoys sitting on it while having her meals, playing with her toys and even watching me while I cook in the kitchen. 😄

LINK 

Syga High Chair with Padded Seat @ FirstCry [LINK]

Weaning Woes

I started weaning my little one about three weeks ago. It's been quite a task getting her to try out new flavors and textures. 

I am currently giving her single fruit / vegetable purees and cereals. She likes apple, pear, rice and barley. Vegetable purees and ragi porridge are a big NO! 

Blue or Pink?!

Disclaimer : Pre-conception and pre-natal gender screening or testing is illegal in India. This post is just a fun take on old wives' tales. 

From the time I knew I was pregnant, I was curious to know the gender of the child in my womb for two reasons - one to pick a suitable name and the other to buy outfits. 

Getting to know the gender during my pregnancy was impossible. So we started predicting based on old wives' tales and came close to believing that we were going to have a boy. 

(Photo by June from Pexels)

Now that we have a daughter, let's see how many of the predictions actually came true …. 😋

1. If you are carrying high, you are having a girl. If you are carrying low, it's a boy - I am not sure about this… I think I carried high. 
   
   
   

2. Presence of acne or other skin blemishes is more in favour of a girl… while a glowing, flawless skin indicate a boy child. - I had glowing skin until the last trimester.. In the third trimester, I had acne occasionally with pigmentation of the neck and face 
   
   
   

3. If you’re feeling cold and icy, it’s a boy! Hot and sweaty? It’s a girl! - Hot and sweaty all the time!! 😂
   
   
   

4. An old wives’ tale claims that slower heart rate (under 140 bpm) means boy, while heart rate over 140 bpm means girl. - During most of the ultrasound scans and use of fetal doppler, my little one's heart rate was lesser than 140 bpm… only during my last scan, days before my emergency c-section, the heart rate was more than 140 bpm.

5. If you crave for sweet things, you’re having a girl. If you’re craving salty or sour foods, it’s a boy. - I always craved for spicy and sour food throughout my pregnancy ..  Infact, most of my dinners included a bowl of sliced cucumbers and loads of green chillies, topped with a generous amount of lemon juice and low sodium salt. I couldn't resist eating it even when my doctor asked me to stop consuming salty food since I was borderline hypertensive. However, few weeks before my C-section I started craving for pastries and ice creams ….

6. I even tried out the Mayan calendar to predict the baby's gender which revealed that I was going to have a boy child. 

7. Presence of morning sickness means it's a girl - I never had that…. 

8. If your husband puts on weight during the pregnancy, an old wives’ tale says it’s a girl! - Ha!!! My husband did put on weight...Probably because he stopped going to gym and I cooked  awesome food throughout my pregnancy... all thanks to cravings! 😂

9. Swollen legs or ankles? It’s a boy! - My legs were swollen indeed …. But I guess that's seen in most women in the last trimester. 

10. If you're happy all the time, it's a boy… If you're moody, it's a girl - Oh boy! I was extremely moody in my first and last trimester. My husband was the lucky person to face the brunt of it.  😂

11. Some say that maternal instincts can also predict well… - Hmmm! I always felt that I was carrying a boy and often referred to the baby as "he" or "him".
    
    

Most of the old wives' tales didn't turn out to be correct. 😂 4 out of 11 predictions were true.

However, there is one thing that definitely turned out right. Years ago, when I was a teenager, I had a dream which seemed so real. I dreamt of me being in a hospital room… Every single thing in that room was white in color. I had a child in my arm wrapped in white cloth. It was a girl! She was the most prettiest child I had ever seen. The sun rays from the open window lit up her face even more. She seemed so pure. My eyes grew moist while looking at her...I woke up with tears in my eyes and was so disappointed since none of this had actually taken place. Dreams are easily forgotten, but this felt so real that I never forgot it…. 

I know this may sound cliché, but my daughter is my dream come true! 😀

What to pack in your hospital bag?

Preparing yourself for the big day when you can finally hold the little kickboxer in your arms, can be quite exciting.  

One of the most important things to be done when you are in your third trimester is packing your maternity bag. A maternity or hospital bag contains all the essentials required to ensure that you and your baby's stay in the hospital is comfortable. 

The average hospital stay for a vaginal delivery and C-section is 3 days and 5 days respectively. Always anticipate staying at the hospital for 5 days and pack accordingly. 

Here are few useful tips I would like to share, especially for new moms - 

• Pack your maternity bag atleast 2 months before your due date. Learn to expect the unexpected. You don't want to be caught off-guard.
  
  
• Keep your maternity bag in a room where it's clearly visible so that you don't forget to carry it along. 
  
  
• You don't need to buy a fancy, designer bag for the hospital. I used the cabin trolley bag that I already have. 
  
  
• All toileteries can be kept in a travel pouch.
  
  
• Maternity night gowns with front zip are quite comfortable to wear during your stay at the hospital and are ideal for breastfeeding. Incase you are unable to buy, you can always grab your husband's old shirts. I packed few of my husband's shirts for the hospital stay. I must say they were quite loose, comfy and perfect for breastfeeding.
  
  
• Carry few empty bags to pack soiled clothes so that you can wash them at home. Your little one  will have plenty of poop, pee and puke accidents.
  
  
• Cotton wear (also known as 'jablas' in India) is ideal for newborns especially born in summers. If your baby is born during monsoon/winter or you in live in a cold place, you can buy appropriate winter wear clothes. Avoid buying outfits that are dark coloured and have zips / classic buttons. Outfits with press buttons or snap buttons are preferred and are generally safe.
  
  
• Having a handsanitizer /alcohol based hand rub is essential especially when you have visitors coming in to see the baby. Always insist on using the handrub before touching the baby. 

Here's a printable list of things to pack for you, your baby and daddy. Hope the tips and the list come in handy 👍